Raushon Ershad named opposition leader, Quader deputy leader

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has officially recognised Jatiya Party's Co-Chairman Raushon as the leader of the official opposition in parliament and its Chairman GM Quader as the deputy leader.

The Parliament Secretariat issued a gazette to that effect dated Sept 8.

It came after Quader wrote to Shirin on Sunday requesting that she approve the nominations for the two posts, an official at the speaker's office told monglanews24.com.

Party chief Ershad was the leader of the official opposition in parliament prior to his death.

His wife Raushon had served as the party's senior co-chairman and the deputy opposition leader in parliament while Quader held the post of Jatiya Party co-chairman.

But after Ershad's death, the Jatiya Party was gripped by a power struggle between Raushon and Quader, compounded by a rift over the party nomination for his Rangpur-3 seat.

Quader had subsequently written to Speaker Shirin Sharmin, seeking his appointment as the leader of the opposition. Loyalists of Raushon, however, rejected the validity of the letter and declared her the party's chairman widening the rift within Jatiya Party.

The two sides eventually reached an agreement whereby, Quader would serve as the chairman and Raushon the leader of the opposition until the next Jatiya Party council.